Process for the manufacture of sweeping compounds.



- -UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

BERTHOLD SINGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE PEROLIN' COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF tory to-and during sweeping for collecting or ILLINOIS.

PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SWEELPING COMPOUNDS- To all whom, it ntay concern:

4. Be it known that I, BERTnoLn SINGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and'State of Illinois, have invented a certain-new and useful Process for the Manufacture of Sweeping clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to a process for the manufacture of compositions of matter-designed to be placed upon thefloor prepara- Compounds, of which the. following is a full,

laying the dust, and it has for its primary object to provide an improved and efficient method orprocess for the production of a. granular form-of material forthe described purpose, in which each individual granule orparticle shall contain within itself a-quantity of moist dust absorbing orcollecting substance entirely free from oil or-other like ingredient liable to damage the surfaces with which it comes into contact, and which dust collecting substance shall be so held by the "said'parti'cles and combined therewithas to remain moist practically indefinitely.

"With a view to -the attainment of these ends, and the accom lishment of certain other objects which will hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the features of novclty which will now be more specifically described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Incarrying out my invention, I em loy a suitable body material comprisim sma 1 particles or granules, each individua granule ofv which possesses pores, so as to be capable of absorbing a liquid, as contradistinguished from merely carrying a portion of the liquid on its exterior, and these particles or granules I thorou lily impregnate or saturate with saponifie water in proportion suflicient to fully laden each particle without having any free liqiud, so that the resultant product will be a ranular mass, or mass of detached, separater. particles, each containing, within itself a quantity of the saponified liquid, and bein capable of rolling freely upon the floor, or oflier surface, and bringing all of its sides into contact with the dust particles, which adhere to the saponified granules by reason of their moist surfaces, which are retained in this moist condition practically indefinitely,

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June 28, 1906. Serial N0. 323,930-

laying the particles of comes in contact during the sweeping opera- Patented May 21', 1907.

and the moisture of the surface thereof replenished by; the more liquid 'form of the saponified substance contained further within the pores of thegranule or body-particle.

As a suitable porous 'ranular, or' comminuted body-substance, employ saw-dust, comminuted sla or other like material, but preferably saw-f ust, because of its cheapne'ss, its orous nature, and its cleaning pro erties an forthe saponified-material, I emp 0v any suitable 'soa and water, but preferably a potash or so a soap, and one containing fatty substances, and ammonia. To about one pound of soap, I add from teirto' twenty-five pounds of water, ;in which the soap is dis solved by the aid of heat, preferably by steam introduced directly into the solution,

twelve pounds of saw-dust, or sufficient to entirely absorb, all of the liquid and at the same time thoroughly saturate all articles of the saw-dust without leaving t e'mass mushy .or wet. These proportions will vary somewhat according to the amount of moisture indigenous to the sawdust and to the character of the soap ingredients, the soaps containing an abundance of fat requiring more water than those containin less fat. The saw-dust be introduced while the liquid is hot, it rea d iIy receivesthe liquid into its pores, and when it'is allowed to cool, the liquid assumes a jelly-like form, which is more or less firm on the outside'butof a more liquid consistency-further .within the pores, so that the exterior portion. continually draws moisture from the interior in suflicient quantity to keep the exterior in that se'mimoist condition-necessa for collectin or diist with who it tion.

A sweeping compound composed of these ingredients will not only lay or collect the do st without staining or greasing the floor or carpet, but will also cleanse any surface upon which it is rubbed.

The efficiency of the material thus described may be considerably enhanced by the addition thereto of a'quan'tity of sand, which serves the two-fold purposeof cuttingthe nun particles of saw-dust apart, avoiding the possibility of the granules hanging together en Moses, and ad ding weight to the mass to prema; be employed.

Ti=:i compound may be still further improve-i by the addition of common salt, or sodiusi chlorid, in agranular state, which possesses cleaning properties in itself, and

has the further advantage of being hygro-- scopic, and attractingunoisture to the mass}, as well as drawing "the moisture from the interior of the particles of saw-dust to their exteriors and thereby keeping the exteriors moist to the requisite degree-- With the proport1 (.F'S before mentioned, thirty pounds of sand a sorb all of the liquid.

3. The herein described process of manufacturing a sweeping compound, which con- .sistsin producing a saponificd solution, in-

into, the solution while hot a sufficient quan tity of saw-dust to absorb the freeliquid.

4. A process of manufacturing a granular cauantity of absorbent granules suilicient to I jecting steam into the same, and introducing sweeping preparation'which consists in producing a hotesoap solution of such strength as to assume a jelly like form when allowed to cool and introducing therein absorbent granules in such proportion as to wholly absorb the said solution.

5. A pflocess of manufacturing a granular sweeping preparation which consists in dissolving soapjn water in such proportions that the resulting solution is in a liquid state when hot and in ajelly like state when cool -and introducing into said solution while hot porous granular material'in such proportions that the liquid will'not only be wholly taken up by the said material, but the granules themselves will remain free from a saponaceous coating adapted to cause the said granules to adhere to each other.

in the presence of two witnesses.

BERTHOLD- SINGER.

l'vitnessesz i W. VVALDMAN,

O. HEi'MANN.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 

